In his The Fire Inside film review, Kevin Bourne says it is “an almost two-hour pep talk about the power of hard work and determination.” 2024 is the year for sports movies at the Toronto International Film Festival. We have Rez Ball about a Navajo Nation high school basketball team who face tragedy and loss on their way to the national championship. We have the wrestling film Unstoppable about a real life NCAA wrestler who must overcome being born with one leg along his journey to national champion. Then there’s The Fire Inside, a biopic about the meteoric rise of Olympic…
Author: Kevin Bourne
Kevin Bourne
Kevin Bourne is the co-founder and editor of SHIFTER magazine. Born and raised in Toronto, Kevin currently resides in Ottawa with his wife Koliah and their three children. He's a big fan of hip-hop, pop culture, and urbanism and spends most of his time keeping up with the Kardashians.
In his Rez Ball film review, Kevin Bourne says it is “simply a highly inspirational story about brotherhood, community, and the love of the game” 2024 is the year for sports movies at the Toronto International Film Festival, including the wrestling film Unstoppable and the boxing film The Fire Inside. Another addition to the list of sports offerings at TIFF 24 is the Lebron James and Springhill Company produced film Rez Ball. But where the other sports films are biopics focusing on Black athletes, one having a disability, Rez Ball is a fictitious story featuring Native Americans, a group we don’t see…
R.T. Thorne’s latest is “a film we should be proud of” and “a big step forward for Canadian cinema” says Kevin Bourne in his 40 Acres film review. Although Hollywood is full of Canadians who have become well-known filmmakers and box office stars, Toronto and Vancouver have become desirable places to shoot big Hollywood films, and Canada offers competitive tax credits and grants, it hasn’t yet translated into a thriving filmmaking scene here in Canada; at least when it comes to star-making and mainstream success. This is especially true for Black filmmakers and producers, who often complain about their inability…
Jacques Audiard’s latest is an “award-worthy masterpiece” and “one of the best films of the year” Kevin Bourne says in his Emilia Pérez film review. One of the films you should be hearing more about this award season is Emilia Pérez which recently screened at the Toronto International Film Festival. Starring Zoe Saldaña, Karla Sofía Gascón, and Selena Gomez, and directed by Jacques Audiard, Emilia Pérez is about a Mexico City defense lawyer named Rita Moro Castro (Saldaña) whose life is turned upside down when a feared cartel boss named Manitas Del Monte (Gascón) looks to hire her (and pay her…
Though hard to watch at times for its depictions of Black pain and trauma, Mike Leigh’s latest is still a film to watch and be proud of says Kevin Bourne in his Hard Truths film review. Another Black film that premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival is Hard Truths, the latest film from award-winning, Oscar-nominated English writer and filmmaker, Mike Leigh. Starring Oscar and Golden Globe nominated actor Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Michele Austin, David Webber, and Tuwaine Barrett, the film is centered around Pansy (Jean-Baptiste), a sharp-tongued middle-aged British Black woman, who seems to find misery everywhere she goes, including…
In his Transformers One film review, SHIFTER’s Kevin Bourne says it is “easily among the best Transformers movies ever made”. It’s only been just over a year since the release of Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, and Transformers fans won’t have to wait too long to get their fix once again. The next installment in the franchise is set to be released on September 20th, and it’s safe to say fans will be pleased. The idea for an animated Transformers prequel has been discussed since 2015, and it was definitely worth the wait. Starring Chris Hemsworth, Brian Tyree Henry, Scarlett…
Kevin Bourne says Pharrell’s LEGO biopic is “one of the most inspirational movies we’ve seen in a very long time” in his Piece by Piece film review. Over the years, Pharrell Williams has built a reputation as one of the most prolific creatives of our generation. He’s lent his creative touch to everything from music and fashion, to film and TV, to condo design and product design. So it was no shock when it was announced that Pharrell would be producing a new biopic, and that would be…a LEGO movie. Actually, it was a little shocking. Who would’ve thought about…
Kevin Bourne says William Goldeberg’s directorial debut “transcends sports, gender, and culture” in his Unstoppable film review. Rudy. A League Of Their Own. The Blind Side. Everyone loves a good sports movie where the unexpected hero defies seemingly insurmountable odds to come out on top. Well, most of us do. Following in that lineage is a new addition to the sports movie genre—Unstoppable, which recently premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival. Produced by Ben Affleck and Matt Damon’s Artists Equity and starring Jharrel Jerome, Jennifer Lopez, Bobby Cannavale, and Don Cheadle, Unstoppable follows the real life story of Anthony…
SHIFTER’s Kevin Bourne calls Dito Montiel’s latest “equal parts dark, irreverent, fun and smart” in his Riff Raff film review. An all-star ensemble cast? Check. An acclaimed author and filmmaker? Check. An accomplished screenwriter? Check. On paper, the John Pollono-written and Dito Montiel-directed pitch-black comedy Riff Raff has all the ingredients for a box office success. Any possible doubts about its execution were quelled at the TIFF premiere. Starring a legendary cast of Ed Harris, Gabrielle Union, Jennifer Coolidge, and Bill Murray, Riff Raff is a quirky and comedic yet dark murder film centered around a dysfunctional extended family and their unexpected…
SHIFTER’s Kevin Bourne calls Anderson .Paak’s directorial debut an “endearing, fun, and creatively rich film” in his K-Pops review. One of our more anticipated films at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival was Anderson .Paak’s K-Pops. Not only did ,Paak co-write the film alongside Khaila Amazan, but it marks his directorial debut. The idea for the film came about during the pandemic where he bonded with his son who was a fan of K-Pop. While the story is a bit over the top at times, the personal touch adds a sense of realism and believability to the story. Starring .Paak,…
Sasha Ruddock of Flaws of Couture returns with her “The Uniform” Fall/Winter collection, her first collection in two years. Toronto-based plus size designer, fashion Influencer, public speaker, and body positive activist, Sasha Ruddock, has made a name for herself over the years, both in Canada and abroad, for inspiring women to be proud of their bodies, no matter their size. In 2021, she made noise by beating out 30 international designers to win SHEIN’s SHEIN X international design contest, walking away with $100,000 to invest in her inclusive clothing line Flaws of Couture, or simply FLAWS. She also walked away…
Keshia Chanté celebrates the 20th anniversary of her self-titled debut album with the release of a new Deluxe Edition. Keshia Chanté is a name associated with longevity and her time on BET’s 106 & Park and ET Canada. A whole generation grew up seeing Chanté in front of the camera as a TV host and personality; so much so that they may not know that she got her start one as one of Canada’s most successful pop/R&B artists. Fans were reminded of her contributions to Canada’s musical landscape at the All Canadian North Stars concert in July 2022 at HISTORY.…
